Organic Tweed Kilts!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I don't think I've posted about this here before, but I wanted to let everyone know that I now have available some really special tweed cloth for making into kilts.

This cloth is woven by a mill on the Isle of Mull that is the only tweed mill to date to be certified organic by the Soil Association. The wool they use all comes from native breed sheep, and is acquired at fair trade prices. The wool is either undyed, or dyed with natural plant dyes such as woad, indigo, or crotal.

Here's a link to my page where I have the tweeds listed:
http://kilts.albanach.org/organic_tweeds.html

And a few pics to whet your appetite.






There are lots of patterns available, which you can see on my site. Most of the colorways tend to range from dark browns to lighter cream colors. The kilt I am wearing is in the "Hebridean Tattersal" pattern, and is made from undyed wool from Hebridean sheep.

Just to give you an idea of some of the other patterns available...

Island Tartan


Shetland Cream Tattersal


Hebridean Tattersal with Woad


Hebridean Pinstripe with Crotal

If anyone is interested in a kilt from this cloth, just follow the link above.

Of course this tweed would make excellent jackets and waistcoats as well, and I'm planning on making these available through the Scottish Tartans Museum gift shop in the near future. If anyone is interested in that possibility email me and I can work out some pricing information for you.

Cheers!
M

[tyger]

I was fortunate to be in the Museum Gift Shop and have Matt show me swatches of these fabrics. This company has a fantastic selection of fabrics, and I am going to have either a jacket or kilt made for me. More than likely it will be a jacket. I am sketching the preferred jacket design that I would like, but they may have a design ready to go that would be fine.

I just have to say that the sporran and and buckle really compliment the kilt in your pictures, Matt. I cannot see how you could ever improve on the overall look and feel of these 3 custom items as they show off together. The absolute understated power that authentic items project is made clear in this photograph, and it speaks to why it is good advice to save for and buy one excellent item rather than any number of cheap items.


PS: The color of your hose/deep natural color of brass in your buckle, and the woad stripe in the kilt/natural color of pewter in buckle, did not escape my eye!

[JSFMACLJR]

Matt,
I have been to Ardalanish, and have seen for myself the beautiful tweeds woven here. I purchased some of the Island Tartan cloth for my mother. It truly is very handsome.

Cheers,
Sandy

[Highlander31]

A very nice looking tweed, Matt. I agree with tyger. The choice of buckle and sporran enhances the color of the kilt splendidly.

[Freelancer]

Nicely put together outfit. Looks fantastic!

[nh_maclean]

That is a killer look! The belt, buckle, sporran and tweed go beautifully!

[tyger]

That is a killer look! The belt, buckle, sporran and tweed go beautifully!

Yeah, I keep looking at those pics of Matt and think: now I have to get a new kilt, sporran, and belt! I am on the lookout for a bobcat too. Those rascals will just wreck a turkey population if they arren't kept in check.

[MacKay71]

Looks Great!

[Mael Coluim]

Very smart, Matt. You set the standard that we, mortals can only aspire to!

[Riverkilt]

The upper crust for sure but fine looking and solid value. Happened across the website for a hand sewn kiltmaker lady in Scotland who only sews from this material. She was sewing the traditional 8 yard kilts and when I hit the currancy converter on her price list so it showed dollars her work was over $1,000 for a hand sewn 8 yard kilt. Guessed the nearly double cost over regular wools was due to the material.

I do think there's a market for the finest as well as for the least expensive. Nice to see the top niche filled with such succulent looking material.